Conflicts and Adaptations in Technology Transfer to Modern China: The Jiaoji Railway Case

Abstract

In 1897 Germany occupied the Jiaozhou Bay by force and in 1899, a German syndicate founded the Shandong Railway Company to construct the Qingdao-Jinan Railway. In the initial construction period, brutal behaviors by Germans led to several violent confrontations with local people. The conflicts during construction can be attributed to cultural factors, legal issues, and economic interests. In 1900 the Jiaoji Railway Regulations were signed to help normalize the behaviors of the Shandong Railway Company. The company cooperated with local authorities to resolve conflicts and to build roads in major cities and towns. The conflicts and adaptations during the Jiaoji Railway construction exemplify interactions between both parties during a particular technology transfer in the context of colonization.